


Setting Boundaries

by threadofgrace



Category: Crazy Ex-Girlfriend (TV), Lucifer (TV)
Genre: But they are crap at setting boundaries, Gen, Noelle and Linda are good therapists, Therapist friends are good at using their words, but there is still a lot of water under the bridge, poor therapeutic etiquette around confidentiality
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-16
Updated: 2019-12-16
Packaged: 2021-02-26 20:48:08
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,775
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21814960
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/threadofgrace/pseuds/threadofgrace
Summary: Linda and Noelle, grad school roommates try to restart their friendship ten years later.
Comments: 10
Kudos: 21
Collections: Yuletide 2019





	Setting Boundaries

**Author's Note:**

  * For [antivillain (museofspeed)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/museofspeed/gifts).



> Happy Yuletide! The idea of a Lucifer crossover sort of ran away with me. I hope this still roughly follows what you wanted!

**To:** DrLindaM@LAtherapy.com  
 **From:** Noelle.Akopian@WestCovinaPsych.org  
 **Subject** : Nice catching up with you

Linda,

It was such a pleasure getting to reconnect last weekend. I can't believe it's been 10 years since grad school! it feels like no time at all, since we were sitting on that ratty old couch of yours, sharing a bottle of crappy Chardonnay and psychoanalyzing Bachelor contestants. (Speaking of, I forgot to ask if you've seen the latest season? I kept thinking of how we used to drink every time a contestant displayed evidence of narcissistic personality disorder, or symptoms of lingering and deep seated childhood trauma with resultant damaged self-esteem and honestly if I followed those rules today I would be absolutely unable to function the day after.)

Anyway, I digress, but this is just a note to say, seeing you at the reunion made me miss how close we used to be. I'm only a few hours out of LA, and if you'd ever be interested in reconnecting over drinks, just drop me a line. I'm right in LA and I understand you are only a few hours out, so if you're interested in continuing this little trip down memory lane, preferably over some drinks, just drop me a line.

P.S. I was really sorry to hear about how things ended with Reese. If you need to talk through anything, you should know that I'm here for you.

P.P.S. I know Davit would be thrilled to see you as well at some point.

**To:** Noelle.Akopian@WestCovinaPsych.org  
 **From:** DrLindaM@LAtherapy.com  
 **Re** : Nice catching up with you

Noelle!

Thanks for writing! I was just sitting here thinking about how much fun it was to see you last weekend. We can’t let another 10 years go by before we do it again.

Tell Davit hi for me, and maybe the three of us can grab dinner sometime? ( I appreciate your sensitivity Noelle, but the truth is that everything that happened at the end of grad school is water on the bridge. Seriously. I promise that I am really, truly happy for you both and I’m glad things are going so well. And most importantly, I miss being friends with you so much!) 

What about drinks, next Friday, just the two of us? Speaking of narcissistic personality disorder, I can tell you all about this patient I’ve started working with! You’ll be fascinated by the symptomatology! 

P.S. I’m fine about Reese. Really, it’s for the best. He’s the one having a lot of trouble with it all, but I need to set boundaries for myself. And mostly that hasn’t been an issue.

* * *

_Hi Linda_

_Hi Noelle! Good to see you last week! Still on for dinner on the 23rd?_

_Definitely! Looking forward to it._

_However, right now I'm messaging with a professional request._

_How do you feel about a quick consult?_

_Sure, what's up?_

_New client. Young woman who seems_

_caught in the grips of some awful self delusion._

_And from what you've told me of your newest client,_

_y_ _ou are certainly getting a lot of experience with this._

_Well, that's definitely true. Does she also use overly_

_convoluted metaphors as an escape from reality?_

_She broke into my house Linda._

_And tried to steal my rx pad._

_I had to threaten her with the authorities_

_before she was convinced to try therapy._

_Oh Lord, I've made a terrible mistake._

_Gimme a call._

_I've got 40 min before my next appointment_

_and I didn't really want to organize my notes anyway._

* * *

_Beep. You have reached the voice mail of Dr. Noelle Akopian. If you are a patient in crisis, please hang up and dial 911. For all other calls, please leave a message and I'll get back to you as soon as I can._

Hey Noelle! Linda here. I'm so, so sorry, I know we said we were meeting for cocktails at 5:00 but I totally lost track of time, I'll be there by 10 aft-ooh! Oh no. _(muffled noise)_ Luc-, no, stop that! I'm late as it is!

( _distantly in the background)_ Oh well Doctor, if that is what you truly desire, then I suppose…( _unintelligible_ )

Noelle? Sorry, yes that was...well, like I said, it's probably better to explain in person. it's kind of a long story. Anyway, I’m really sorry, I’ll be there in 10 and first round is on me. It’s the least I can do for making you wait.

* * *

**(Interlude-At the Bar)**

_You’re sleeping with him?_

_Yeah, yeah, you said that already._

_I’m sorry, I’m just shocked._

_Trust me, you are not judging me any more than I’m judging myself for this. I know I have to end it, but-well, this is, really, not an excuse, but if you’d met him, you’d understand. There’s something about this guy that just sort of makes you crazy when he walks into the room. I don’t know. Honestly, I sometimes think it would be easier if he really was the devil. It would explain a lot._

_Honey, I’m not judging. I’m just worried for you. This is not like you._

_Noelle, I’m fine. I promise. I’ll end it. Now what about you? Tell me what’s been going on with that patient of yours? Rebecca, is it?_

_Mmm...Rebecca, that’s another story. She’s currently convinced she’s caught up in a love triangle, and that is the only thing she’s willing to talk about. I swear, it’s almost like she thinks she’s Marilyn Monroe in one of those 50s movies. I almost expected her to burst into song in the middle of the session._

* * *

_Beep. You have reached the voicemail of Dr. Noelle Akopian. If you are a patient in crisis, please hang up and dial 911. For all other calls, please leave a message and I'll get back to you as soon as I can._

Hi Noelle, it’s Linda. Listen, you’re probably asleep right now, but I really hate the way we left things there. I’m just not sure how it all got so heated.

  
Anyway.

  
What I said about you and Davit was way, way, way out of line. I wasn’t lying before when I said I was over everything from grad school. My relationship with Davit was over way before the two of you got together, and you certainly didn’t wreck anything that wasn’t already long broken. It’s just, you know, I think I was tired of feeling judged, by myself most of all. And it just felt like you were coming in from nowhere with your perfect life and your happy, perfect marriage, and telling me everything I was doing wrong, and I think I got so defensive because I knew you were right. But that doesn’t make anything I said okay.

  
So, yeah. I’ll give you some time to clear your head. But if I haven’t tanked things completely, then I’d really like to see you again. Restarting this friendship has been really good for me. And, I was thinking, do you remember the time, during finals, spring semester second year, when we had stayed up basically all night studying, so we were both more than a little bit loopy? And you had the idea to make pancakes at 3am? And there was that thing caught in the flue, and the firemen ended up coming? God, that was one of my favorite nights.

  
Anyway, I’m sorry, that’s all. And, good luck with that patient of yours? Rachel? Rebecca?

* * *

**To:** DrLindaM@LAtherapy.com 

**From:** Noelle.Akopian@WestCovinaPsych.org

 **Subject** : Thank you for the birthday present!

Linda,

The shawl you sent showed up on my doorstep the other day, and it’s exquisite! I’ve been wearing it for therapy appointments, did you really get it on Etsy?  
Linda, of course I forgive you. That was never in doubt.And I should have messaged you earlier, but if I’m being honest, I was angry and needed some time to cool off.  
I also said a lot of things that night which I shouldn’t have. The truth is that things with Davit aren’t so perfect these days, and I think I was feeling a little raw about it. Having a spouse in the same profession is hard you know, and to be honest I think there might be a little professional jealousy creeping in? He can’t stop talking about how much higher my Yelp reviews are than his, I snapped at him the other day.

Anyway, I hope you are well. Dinner soon?

* * *

_You’ve reached the personal voicemail for Dr. Linda Martin. If you are a client, yes that includes you Lucifer, please call me back on my business line. All others, please leave a message after the beep._

Linda, I was so close to making a breakthrough. She’s my white whale patient and I was just on the verge of harpooning her with self-knowledge.

He proposed to her, in my own office! And I was powerless to stop it. Why couldn’t I stop it? And why can’t I stop thinking about it? I need to just focus on something else. I’m saving up for a kayak. Davit’s taking me camping next summer, and oh lord by next summer who knows where Rebecca will be? Married or maybe dead?

What is wrong with me? Is Rebecca rubbing off on me, instead of the other way around? Oh lord, what if I start breaking and entering?

You know, growing up, I never thought I'd be a therapist. Did I ever tell you that? I wanted to be a veterinarian. Humans are so much more complicated than dogs. Or cats. Maybe I'll open a cat store, and sell them to the weird lonely ladies. Much less talking that way.

She was so close, Linda. So, close. I thought finally, finally all my months trying, might have paid off.

I don’t know, Linda. Perhaps we both need help setting better therapeutic boundaries.

* * *

_You’ve reached the personal voicemail for Dr. Linda Martin. If you are a client, yes that includes you Lucifer, please call me back on my business line. All others, please leave a message after the beep._

Linda? Just checking in. I’m a little concerned that I haven’t heard from you in a while.

* * *

_You’ve reached the personal voicemail for Dr. Linda Martin. If you are a client, yes that includes you Lucifer, please call me back on my business line. All others, please leave a message after the beep._

Linda? Give me a call when you get this, alright? I’m getting a little concerned here. 

* * *

_The Devil? He’s the actual devil? And he showed you his true face?_

_I know, it’s a lot to take in huh?_

_I’d say so._

_I know you don’t believe me._

_But will you go drinking with me?_

_I’m feeling the urge to get really drunk right now._

_That, I think I can do._

* * *

_You’ve reached the personal voicemail for Dr. Linda Martin. If you are a client, yes that includes you Lucifer, please call me back on my business line. All others, please leave a message after the beep._

  
Linda? Are there? Pick up! Rebecca is heading downtown, straight for Lux!

I may or may not have told her about Lucifer, which yes, okay, I realize in retrospect was probably an error in judgement, but I was trying to comfort her. Ever since Josh left her at the altar, she’s been a changed woman, completely bent on revenge. I told her if Lucifer himself could make therapeutic progress, than she certainly has no excuse for giving up on herself. 

She just sat there for a second as if she had gone somewhere else in her head, she does that an awful lot, and then suddenly she was jumping up and cutting our session short, saying she had to urgently get to downtown LA. Linda, you told me that Lucifer’s MO is to grant favors right? I have no idea what she will ask him for, but I can’t imagine it will be good for her, or for Josh. You have to warn Lucifer. I’m getting in the car now, and should be at Lux about 20 minutes behind Rebecca.

* * *

**Lux security footage, camera 1d (piano):**

_(Post it note above the monitor screen:_ _To whoever is working the morning shift: The boss has left strict instructions that all security tape of patrons on the dance floor and the bar area, should be strictly deleted by 8 am the following morning. Unless it’s, and he says I need to quote him directly here, "really, really naughty." In that case, recordings should be sent directly to his penthouse.)_

Interior 7:04 pm: Lucifer Morningstar is sitting alone at the piano. He's playing a slow, jazzed up version of Patty Cline “Crazy."

The figure of a woman comes into the shot behind Lucifer. She’s short and curvy, a brunette with hair that looks like it could stand to be brushed more effectively, and she's wrapped in a trench coat.

He swings around, back to the camera. "Well, hello there. And who might you be?" 

The woman extends a hand down to lean against the bar, trying to be sexy, but she misjudges the distance down to the bar top, and over-balances slightly, stumbling.

She’s obviously flustered, but trying to recover. “Who am I? Does it matter? I’m more interested in who you are. (She's twirling a lock of hair in a manner that she clearly intends to be sexy and intense.)

Lucifer says, "Darling, it's not that I’m not interested. I’m always interested. But it appears you’ve caught me at something of a bad time. You see Cain has made his intentions known to the Detective, and she absolutely doesn't listen when I try to explain to her that he's the first murderer cursed to wander the Earth for all eternity, although I simply can't understand why not.

There is a brief pause as the woman seems to consider this. Then she is seen to shrug expansively. In a different tone of voice from earlier, she says slowly, "maybe she is listening. Maybe it’s just that she's in love, so she doesn't want to hear it. What do I know though?"

"In love? With Cain? What an absurd concept!"

She shrugs. " Look, I don't know your detective, or Cain-and seriously Cain? like from the Bible? That's so rad!-I just know that I've done a lot of things when I've been in love that I'm not proud of. And mostly they've been because I wasn't listening to the people around me. 

So, anyway, you say you’re the devil alright? And that you give favors? I guess I should ask what it's gonna cost me? My soul? It’s not like Jews believe in the afterlife, so you know, I’m not too worried about that.

"I don’t take souls, that’s nothing but scurrilous propaganda." Lucifer audibly huffs. 

"Oh she says, visibly relieved. That’s good, then."

Well then what is it I can do for you? The woman opens her mouth and then hesitates.

"Come now, what is it that you desire?"

At this moment, two other women rush into the shot, behind the first women. Lucifer can be seen holds up a hand, as if to say wait one minute, and they effectively freeze in place.

It’s not so much that I want revenge on Josh, says the first woman, slowly, I just want not to be hurt again. I see, says Lucifer. Well, as doctor Linda is so fond of saying to me, everyone gets hurt at some point or the other. It’s what you do with the pain which is important.

Lucifer turns and addresses the two other women, don’t you agree, Doctor Linda and Doctor Linda’s friend? The two women nod slowly and carefully.

Lucifer turns back to the first woman and says, “personally, I think that’s crap. You humans and your emotions make everything so messy. But I do know that things have certainly gotten more interesting since I started seeing Doctor Linda, so perhaps she has a point, at least some of the time. Dare I presume that Doctor Linda’s friend here is your own good doctor? Perhaps she’s better suited to give you advice on how not to hurt quite so much than I, a simple Devil and nightclub owner.”

The first woman looks over at the other two thoughtfully. 

“I don't know” says the taller of the two new women, adjusting the shawl which is draped around her shoulders. “You both seem to be doing a pretty good job of supporting the other. What would either of you say to the idea of group sessions?”


End file.
